咳嗽
késou
The English word "cough" is translated into Chinese as 咳嗽 (késou).
咳嗽 is used to describe both the noun, the sudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs and the verb, which means to make a coughing noise or to push air from the lungs through the glottis.
Meaning: sudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth (noun)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
In Chinese, 咳嗽 functions as both a noun and a verb. To express the continuous action of coughing, you can add 在 before 咳嗽.
How do you pronounce it?
késou
Did you know?
- The word 咳嗽 is an onomatopoeia, as the sounds of the characters 咳 and 嗽 are designed to mimic the actual sound of a cough.
- In some contexts, 咳 can be used as an interjection to signal hesitation or to clear one's throat before speaking, similar to 'ahem' in English.
- In traditional Chinese medicine, a 咳嗽 is rarely treated as an isolated symptom but is instead categorized by whether it is 'wind-cold' or 'wind-heat'.
Examples in context
- 你咳嗽嗎？Do you have a cough?This sentence is useful for asking if someone has a 咳嗽.Tatoeba #6169142 by verdastelo9604, translation #3318983 by CK
- 咳嗽什么帮好起来？What helps cure a cough?This sentence is useful for asking what helps cure a 咳嗽.Tatoeba #6744679 by swolesuki, translation #6707173 by AlanF_US
- 咳嗽的時候會痛嗎？Does it hurt when you cough?This sentence is useful for asking if it hurts during a 咳嗽.Tatoeba #12914803 by DaoSeng, translation #9853831 by NurseMeeks
- 医生，我一直在咳嗽，有什么药可以治疗吗？Doctor, I've been coughing persistently. Is there any medication that can help?
- 最近你感冒了吗？咳嗽好点了吗？Have you caught a cold recently? Is your cough better now?
- 真讨厌，咳了一整天了，一点儿都不舒服。How annoying! I've been coughing all day, and I feel extremely uncomfortable.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zihan and Haoran are talking at the office.
- 梓涵 Zihan浩然，你的咳嗽好一點了嗎？Hào rán, nǐ de késòu hǎo yīdiǎn le ma?Haoran, is your cough any better?
- 浩然 Haoran還沒，我還是覺得很不舒服。Hái méi, wǒ háishì juéde hěn bù shūfu.Not yet, I still feel very uncomfortable.
- 梓涵 Zihan你應該去看看醫生。Nǐ yīnggāi qù kànkan yīshēng.You should go see a doctor.
- 浩然 Haoran好的，我下午就去。Hǎo de, wǒ xiàwǔ jiù qù.Okay, I will go this afternoon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cough” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
